PepsiCo

The Objective

Creating excitement and product awareness for Nitro Pepsi

PepsiCo's new Nitro Pepsi is the first-ever nitrogen-infused soda that's "softer than a soft drink". Once poured, Nitro Pepsi carries a smoother, creamier flavor than other sodas, with a cascade of tiny bubbles topped off by a frothy foam head.

"While soda has been a beverage of choice for so many consumers over the past century, some people still cite heavy carbonation as a barrier to enjoying an ice-cold cola," said Todd Kaplan, VP of Marketing - Pepsi, in a statement. "With this in mind, we wanted to come up with a new way for people to enjoy delicious Pepsi cola, but with a new experience around the bubbles... Much like how nitrogen has transformed the beer and coffee categories, we believe Nitro Pepsi is a huge leap forward for the cola category and will redefine cola for years to come."

The challenge that PepsiCo faced was to show, not just tell, audiences how unique the nitrogen soda experience is and how it differed from the soda taste they already knew. The TikTok community's unique co-creation culture made it the ideal platform to take on this challenge as it let audiences digitally experience the smoothness of Nitro Pepsi and, in turn, drive product awareness as the drink became available exclusively at Walmart before it hit the shelves of all stores.

The Solution

Driving brand and product affinity with a fun and innovative Hashtag Challenge

PepsiCo decided to leverage a branded Hashtag Challenge, #SmoothLikeNitroPepsi, which invited the TikTok community to show off their most original, unapologetically smooth entrances in the spirit of Nitro Pepsi.

For the challenge, PepsiCo collaborated with The Elements (a TikTok Sound Partner) to create the #SmoothLikeNitroPepsi campaign’s official anthem: an original 15-second song that was designed to guide TikTok users to burst through a door and show their most unapologetically smooth entry. The team created the sound by mixing original music with key product elements, such as a can open, soda pour, and fizz sound effects.

To drive engagement for the #SmoothLikeNitroPepsi challenge, PepsiCo utilized Reach & Frequency In-Feed Ads, Auction In-Feed Ads, and Top Feed In-Feed Ads — which encouraged users to visit the challenge and music pages, where all UGC entries were housed and, in turn, turbocharged exposure for the Nitro Pepsi product.

With the help of Influential (a TikTok Creator Marketing Partner) PepsiCo also worked with popular creators, such as @chris, @davefitceo, @amywoahh and @samramdell5, to kick-off the challenge and provide inspiration for users to follow. Using creators allowed PepsiCo to tap into their enormous combined following. These creators have cultivated trust and a participatory environment among their audiences, encouraging them to build on each other's stories and thus optimizing the challenge's content and engagement strategy.

The Results

Increasing product awareness and campaign engagement through TikTok's co-creation culture

All of the creative and media elements of #SmoothLikeNitroPepsi challenge were carefully crafted to help TikTok users experience the smoothness of PepsiCo's new product before even getting to try it. This approach drove significant success for the Nitro Pepsi product launch exclusively at Walmart Stores.

Globally, the #SmoothLikeNitroPepsi campaign recorded over 3.4 billion video views with over 80 million in reach, 2.1 million videos created, and over 1 million creators — all above industry benchmarks within a two week campaign flight. The campaign and product were also widely celebrated in the comment section with one user noting "I need one rn. The new generation of carbonation.” PepsiCo also commisioned a brand lift study from Kantar (a TikTok Measurement Partner) and the results shattered expectations by driving significant increases in ad recall and product awareness.

*PEPSI, NITRO PEPSI and the Pepsi Globe are registered trademarks of PepsiCo, Inc.

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